Story Of a Girl
by JustYourAverageRavenclaw
Summary: AU, AH. Canon pairings. Bella is an orphan and adopted by the Cullens. Will they be able to help her confront and conquer her past? Mature for later chapter content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**Sorry, I know I shouldn't be starting another story, but I have decided that this will be a kind of prequel to As Long As You're Mine. I know it's weird. But I promise I will try to post chapters regularly for this one. I've already got the next couple ones planned out.**

**So anyway, enjoy! **

BPOV:

Mrs. Snow says I will be meeting my new family today. She says I'll like them. I'm not sure if I believe her.

I am sitting in one of the hard plastic chairs outside of the meeting rooms on the first floor of the adoption center. Mrs. Snow told me to dress in my best clothes, which means my normal attire of jeans and black ragged converse, complimented by a silky blue top I borrowed from one of the older girls. It's a bit too big on me, but it has long sleeves, which is good. I won't wear tee shirts, and Mrs. Snow has given up trying to guess why. She'd never get it right, anyway.

As I sit waiting for Mrs. Cullen, my new "Mom", to show up, I study my converse. I have added my own personal touch to them- the toes, normally white, now are festooned with doodles and drawings I did with Magic Marker. They were the scented kind, too, and I drew what the scent was- an orange, a blueberry, even a roasted marshmallow. Mrs. Snow doesn't approve of the drawings. She's a neat freak- the type of person who goes nuts if you spill one drop of anything, even water. Let's just say she and I haven't gotten along very well. I think she's glad to be rid of me, finally.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to add a border around my doodles when I hear footsteps headed in my direction. I glance up and gasp. My mouth's probably flopping open like a fish.

It's Mrs. Cullen, and she's, well, _beautiful, _much more so than I expected her to be_._ She's small, probably no more than five foot two, but she's slender. She's got huge, sparkling brown eyes inside of a heart shaped face that's surrounded by caramel colored hair that looks soft as a cloud. Her soft pink lips are turned up into a smile, and I feel myself smiling back at her- just a little bit. Even so, I'm shocked at myself. I haven't smiled for a long time now, not since…. Well, never mind.

I tear my eyes away from her to glance at Mrs. Snow. She looks as shocked as I feel, and quickly I regain my composure and my face goes back to its regular blankness. Mrs. Cullen appears not to have noticed anything, she's still smiling at me. I force myself not to smile back again- if I do, I'm giving her a chance to get closer to me, and the closer someone gets to me the more they can hurt me.

Mrs. Snow is glaring daggers at me- I get the hint and stand up, wrapping my arms around myself.

"He- Hello, Mrs. C-Cullen."

She looks a bit surprised, probably at my stutter-- I can't help it, I've been talking like this for years now. It feels like every time I try to speak, the words choke me, trying to tell me to shut up, can't I see that talking doesn't do anything but bring me unwanted attention?

But Mrs. Cullen shakes off her surprise in an instant and holds out a perfectly manicured hand.

"Hello, Isabella. I'm so glad to finally meet you."

I hesitate for an instant before reaching out and placing my hand in hers. She's got a strong grip, and shakes my hand for an instant before dropping it. She seems to sense I feel uncomfortable, and this perceptiveness has me liking her even more, even though I try to stop myself. I've allowed myself to get attached to people who say they're going to be my new 'family', and then they just destroy my trust. Part of me wonders how I can even trust anyone anymore. I have no answers.

Mrs. Snow clears her throat and I jump, realizing I've been standing there staring at Mrs. Cullen like an idiot.

"Well, how about we go into the interview room? You can learn some more about Isabella, Mrs. Cullen, and she can learn some more about you."

I'm not sure if I want Mrs. Cullen to know more about me. I'm perfectly happy keeping everything inside of me, thank you very much.

But Mrs. Snow won't take no for an answer, and she leads us into the small room with the horrible outdated lime green carpet and a dark brown table with worn chairs. She smiles her rather unpleasant smile at me, staring into my eyes with a silent reminder to 'Behave!', and then walks out of the room leaving me and Mrs. Cullen alone. I hastily sit down and she follows my lead. We sit there in silence for a few seconds, me staring at my feet and her staring at me. Then she breaks the silence.

"So, Isabella, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

I look up at her and then bite my lip. What am I supposed to tell her? That I have to see therapists because I have nightmares almost every night? That they haunt me day in and day out? Somehow, I don't think that'd make her want to adopt me…

So I say nothing. I can't think of anything good, anyway.

Mrs. Cullen clears her throat and glances down at her hands, which are twisting around themselves as if she's trying to pull her fingers off.

"Well, ok, I understand that you probably don't feel like talking to me. My daughter Rosalie was like that at first. It took her weeks to come around. But, if you don't mind, could I ask you something?"

I stare at her, and then nod warily, bracing myself.

"Well, I noticed the drawings on your shoes. They're marvelous. Are you an artist?"

I'm completely derailed. I thought it would be something like what my last prospective adopter asked… she'd wondered if I was depressed or if I had an eating disorder, because she said I would be a bad influence to her precious little girl if I had. I hadn't even answered that one.

But Mrs. Cullen smiles at me again as I blink in surprise, and once again I feel my answering smile growing on my lips. And this time, I don't try to suppress it; she deserves to be smiled at, someone as kind as her. I realize she is waiting for an answer as I sit there gazing at her in surprise, and hastily I clear my throat.

"Uh, n-no, I'm not an a-artist. They're n-not that g-good, anyway."

Mrs. Cullen frowns a bit and looks puzzled.

"Are you kidding? They're wonderful. They look so real, I could eat them right now."

I giggle, and she beams at me.

"Th-thanks."

The rest of the meeting goes pretty smooth after that. Although we don't say much else, I learn that she has five children, all adopted, all teenagers. There's Rosalie and her twin Jasper, both eighteen, Emmett, seventeen, and Alice and Edward, who are my age, sixteen. The way Mrs. Cullen talks about them, I can tell she loves them very much.

After an hour, Mrs. Snow comes in and asks how it went. Mrs. Cullen smiles her stunning smile and tells her that it went wonderfully. Then she takes a deep breath and turns to me again.

"So, Isabella, what do you think? Do you want to be a Cullen?"

**A/N:**

**Hahaha Cliffie! But what do ya think she'll say? And what do you think will happen in the next chapter? REVIEW, sil vous plait! :D**

**-FBD**

Word count: 1,316


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**See, told you I would update! Heehee: D**

**And I realize I forgot a disclaimer on my last chapter. This one will have to do for both this chapter and the last one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, although I do own all four books, a Team Edward tee shirt and button, and the movie. But the rights to the book? Those go to Stephenie Meyer. **

_JAR:_

"_So, Isabella, what do you think? Do you want to be a Cullen?"_

BPOV:

I stare at Mrs. Cullen in amazement. I mean, I thought they would adopt me anyways, whether I really wanted them to or not. But apparently, according to Mrs. Cullen, I have a choice in the matter.

I look back and forth form Mrs. Snow to Mrs. Cullen. Mrs. Snow is glaring at me, as if saying "Don't mess this up again, girl!" But Mrs. Cullen looks hopeful, smiling at me with an honest to god puppy dog face.

How can I refuse that face? Besides, I'm not sure if I _want_ to refuse anymore.

So I say yes.

Mrs. Cullen beams a 100-watt smile at me and starts chattering about how everyone's going to be so excited.

"Oh, Isabella, Carlisle's going to be thrilled when I tell him. And, don't worry, you'll love the house, I promise you that."

She and Mrs. Snow retreat to her office to finalize the adoption process, sign papers, all that. I can hear Mrs. Cullen on her cell phone as she walks away, telling everyone to get themselves and the house ready because she's bringing home their new sister. Even from nearly five meters away I can hear a girl's squeal. Mrs. Cullen flinches and then laughs as she tells Alice—I remember, the girl she said was my age—to calm down.

I'm not sure where to go at this point. Mrs. Snow is waiting for Mrs. Cullen to finish her conversation so they can start walking again, and she notices me standing there.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go get your things and then come back here. And be quick about it!"

I nod and hurry off up the stairs, towards my room. All the kids who are not in foster care at the moment stay at the adoption center until we are adopted, are taken to a foster home, or reach eighteen. I share with three other girls, Jessica, Emily, and Lauren. Emily is nice, but she is only fourteen. Her parents are both gone-- her mother just recently passed from cancer, and her father was a businessman who died on 9/11. I can hear her crying sometimes (when I'm not crying myself), and it nearly breaks my heart. But she is sweet and smart, she'll get adopted soon.

Lauren and Jessica, though, are a different story. Jessica, nearly sixteen, used to be my friend, until Lauren came along. Now, Jessica sticks to Lauren like glue, and Lauren has brought her completely over to the Dark Side, as I call it. It's like Lauren is Darth Sidious and Jessica is Anakin.

And, speak of the devil, when I enter the room Lauren's there waiting for me. She sneers and watches as I go to my bed and pull my duffle bag out from under it.

"What's the matter?" she says, "Running away? Too scared to face facts that no one wants you?"

I hate myself for wanting to agree with her. I'm still amazed that Mrs. Cullen actually is happy about adopting me. But I'll never admit that to Lauren. She doesn't need the gratification. So I say nothing and pull my clothes and notebook from my drawer, throwing them into my bag. Then I remember my borrowed shirt and grab a replacement out of my bag, go into the bathroom, and change. I love the silky blue top I'm wearing, but unfortunately I have to give it back.

Lauren scoffs and calls through the door,

"What, are you too much of a wimp to even change your damn shirt in front of us? No one wants to look at you, anyway."

I have to bite back tears at her hateful comments. I know she's shallow and cruel, but still I let her comments get to me, like salt in a wound. And god knows that wound's been there a while.

Mrs. Cullen is waiting for me when I finally manage to evade Lauren and get out of there. She holds out a hand, smiles, and says,

"Are you ready to meet your new family, Isabella?"

I look up at her, swallow against the knot of nervousness that has formed in my throat, and nod.

* * *

RPOV:

The whole house is in a flurry of activity after Esme calls and tells us to get ready for our new sister. Alice is running up and down the stairs like a madwoman, trying to make sure everything is absolutely perfect. She grabs things and dashes them up the stairs, or grabs them from upstairs and brings them down here. I think she's trying to rearrange the entire house in under twenty minutes.

Finally Jasper reaches out and grabs her arm as she rushes by with a picture frame and a pair of Edward's shoes in her hands.

Alice, honey, calm down a bit. I'm sure Isabella won't mind if the house isn't flawless."

He takes the shoes and picture from her and places the shoes in the hall closet and the frame on Edward's piano. Then he takes Alice's hand in his and gently runs his fingers through her spiky black hair, trying to calm her down.

Alice huffs at him, but I can tell his soothing touch is getting to her. Finally she sighs and wraps her tiny arms around his waist.

"Sorry," she mutters, "But I've been waiting for her for so long, I want everything to be exactly right."

I can't help but smile at their display, but I have to turn away when he leans down to kiss her. It feels like I'm intruding on a private moment. My gaze falls on Emmett's grin. He doesn't have any problems watching their P.D.A., and I can tell some wheels are turning in that mischievous mind of his. Before I can tell him off, however, the garage door sounds.

The unexpected sound makes us all jump, and Alice pulls away from Jasper and claps her hands. She looks like a kid in a candy store.

"They're here!" She squeals. "Finally!"

Esme's voice floats through the air as she opens the door to the garage.

"…And school starts in a few weeks, but you'll have time to get used to everything, don't worry." She's saying. Her heels click across the wooden floor, followed by the squeak of tennis shoes.

Esme steps onto the room, followed closely by our new sister, Isabella.

The first thing I notice about her is her eyes. They're huge, probably with nervousness, and they're a deep brown that looks like melted milk chocolate. Her pale skin, although now tinged with pink, looks like snow against her thicket of mahogany hair. The first thought that flashes through my mind is that Snow white has just stepped into our loving room.

Isabella seems to have just realized that we are all staring at her as she looks about the room. Her cheeks flame an even brighter red and she wraps her arms around herself as she looks down at her feet.

"He-Hello." She whispers.

Alice can't contain herself any longer. She grabs Jasper's hand and practically skips up to Isabella, dragging Jasper along with her.

"Hi, Isabella, I'm Alice, and this is Jasper. We're really happy you're here."

Isabella glances from her to Jasper. He smiles softly at her and whispers a "Hi." Jasper is not a very loud person. Isabella smiles back, just a ghost of a smile.

Esme's watching the whole exchange and she looks so happy she could float right up to the ceiling. She turns to me, Edward, and Emmett.

"Well, aren't you three going to say hello?"

We mumble our greetings and Esme rolls her eyes.

"Isabella," she says, leading her over to where the boys and I are huddled, near Edward's piano, "These knuckleheads are Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie." She points to each of us in turn.

Isabella seems a bit overwhelmed, a fact Esme does not miss.

"I'm sorry, Isabella, this must be so confusing. Here, Alice will show you up to your room so that you can put your things away, and then I thought we could go shopping. Just for the necessities for now, and later we can get more. Is that alright?"

Isabella nods silently and follows Alice up to her room.

* * *

**A/N:**

**So, what'd you think? I hope you liked the little bit of AxJ fluff :D I like their relationship a lot because it seems to me like they balance each other out perfectly. **

**Anyway, REVIEW!!!!!!!**

Word count: 1,512


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **

**I am so sorry about the delay. My family was here about two weeks ago, and then things just got kind of out of hand. I promise I will not let the wait be so long again. I am going to try to update at least every week, and sooner if I can. :D **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, though I wish I did. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer. **

_JAR:_

"_I'm sorry, Isabella, this must be so confusing. Here, Alice will show you up to your room so that you can put your things away, and then I thought we could go shopping. Just for the necessities for now, and later we can get more. Is that alright?"_

_Isabella nods silently and follows Alice up to her room._

* * *

BPOV:

Alice is a tiny little pixie of a girl, complete with spiky hair and a ballet dancer's grace. I watch her carefully as I follow her up the stairs, just waiting for wings to pop out of her back. She leads me past three bedroom doors. One is open, and I can see that inside there is a wall covered with CDs and a black leather couch. I don't have time to ask whose room it is, though, before she stops the last one in the hall and opens it.

The room inside—my room now—is pretty. The walls and comforter on the bed are the same soft white, and the carpet is a light gold color that matches the embroidery on the drapes. Alice bounds past me and sets my duffle on the bed. She spins and grabs my hand, the grin on her face so big it looks like it's going to crack in half.

"Ready to go shopping?"

I have to bite back a groan as I look at her and her fashionable outfit. There's no way she's going to let me get away with just my jeans and tee shirts. Maybe Rosalie and Mrs. Cullen will be more reasonable.

As Alice and I head down the stairs again, she turns to me and says,

"You know, you don't really look like an Isabella. Do you have any other name you like to go by?"

I think about it. There's one that my parents always used to call me. I haven't heard it for so long now.

"B-Bella."

Alice looks happy.

"Bella? That's pretty! Ok then, Bella."

I have to grin at her. Hearing that name again makes me feel happier inside.

Rosalie looks up as we reach the bottom stair. She's pulled on a jacket, and Alice opens the closet door to get hers. She glances at me, and says,

"Here, Bella, you can borrow one of Rose's jackets for right now. She won't mind." She gives Rosalie a look, and she quickly nods and says,

"Yeah, go ahead…Bella."

Alice pulls out a pretty cream colored jacket along with her own dark brown one. She tosses the cream one to me, which I catch just in time. It's a little too big when I slip it on, but I'll manage. Mrs. Cullen steps out of the kitchen just as I'm zipping it up, and she says,

"Okay, that's another thing we'll have to get you. Maybe I should make up a list…"

I frantically shake my head. She shouldn't spend all her money on me! I can manage with just a few things; I have been for years now. But when I tell her this, she just smiles.

"Don't worry, Isabella, it's absolutely fine. Besides, you deserve to have some nice things."

I don't really think I deserve them, but how can I tell her no? And she wouldn't understand, anyway.

Alice grins up at Mrs. Cullen as she practically bounces out the door.

"Oh, Esme, her name's not Isabella anymore. It's Bella."

Mrs. Cullen… _Esme,_ looks surprised but doesn't say anything. I glance back behind us as we walk out the door, and I see the strange bronze-haired boy lurking in a doorway, watching us leave with a slightly puzzled look on his face. He sees me looking at him and quickly he looks away.

The shopping trip is actually to Target, to get things like soap and shampoo. But, although Esme said not to, Alice and Rosalie end up dragging me over to the clothes to see if we can find a few tops. There are a couple that are nice, but soon Alice sees that all the ones I pick out are long sleeved.

"Bella, come on, that's boring. Don't you want a few tee shirts? It gets kind of hot during the summer."

I just shake my head at her and place the tops in the cart. She seems to get that I don't want to talk, but out of the corner of my eye I see her look to Rosalie and shake her head. I'm just glad she's leaving me be on this.

All in all, it's not a bad shopping trip. When we meet up with Esme again, she's got a kind of a mischevious look on her face. Alice, Rose, and I glance at each other but don't say anything, and that silence continues for the whole car ride home.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Okay, I know it's kind of short, but I'm going to update soon with a new chapter. And don't worry; we'll be hearing more about Eddie pretty soon :) **

**Word Count: 1,040**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, not me. Sigh.**

**A/N:**

**Okay, first I want to thank those of you who are reviewing and those of you who are adding me to your favorites lists. It really means a lot to me as a writer.**

**Ok, on with the story.**

* * *

It seems my new sisters are determined to buy me a new wardrobe all in one day. It's Saturday and the day of our shopping spree and they are going overboard.

I sit next to Esme in a comfy blue chair in one of the dimly lit shops that reeks of perfume and plays music so loud Esme has to shout to make herself heard.

"I'm sorry about this, dear, they've got their hearts in the right place but they tend to go overboard. Don't worry; we'll go somewhere you want to go next. I think they just want to make sure you're all set for school starting again on January seventh."

I try not to groan as I think of starting school again. It means lots of kids staring at me, teachers getting annoyed with my stuttering, and the dreaded gym classes. But Esme told me that Edward and Alice, since they are my age, will be in most of my classes, so maybe it won't be too terrible.

My musings are interrupted by a very hyper Alice coming over to show me something.

"Oooh, Bella, this would look great on you. You could wear a tank top under it and then it'd be perfect for back-to-school."

I take the shirt from her. It's soft, white with pretty floral embroidery_**. (Pic on profile)**_ But it's short sleeved, and it's see through. Even though I like it, I just can't wear it. I shake my head and hand it back to Alice.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Alice, I-I just can't w-wear th-this."

Alice pouts and puts on her best puppy dog face.

"Why, Bella? It'd be so pretty! Do you not like it or something?"

"N-no, I l-like it, it's j-just… I c-cant. I-I'm sorry."

Alice opens her mouth to respond when Esme, in a lull in the music, says quietly,

"Alice, don't push it. Why don't you find something else for Bella to wear?"

Alice nods, not wanting to argue with Esme. But she gives me a searching look as she turns, and I have to look away from her penetrating gaze.

"Bella," Esme says quietly, "Do you want to go look around? How about you go to the bookstore? We can meet you there."

I nod eagerly and have to stop myself from leaping up and running out the door. I love to read, and haven't been able to get new books for years. Plus, there's just something so calming about bookstores, and calm is what I need right now.

Esme smiles at me and hands me three twenties and a ten. My eyes widen and I try to hand back the money, but she won't take it back.

"No, I want you to get yourself some books, or notebooks or something. Whatever you would like, alright?"

I look into her eyes and I see that she's completely serious, smiling at me good naturedly. I nod again, slower this time, and turn and exit the store.

As soon as I step foot outside the store I feel some tension leave me. The dim lighting and loud music had barraged my senses, making me disoriented. But now I can concentrate, and I walk through the crowds of people, looking for the bookstore.

I'm looking around when I get the feeling that someone is watching me. I turn slowly in a circle, until my gaze falls on a boy around my age, maybe a bit older, who's leaning against a pole and staring at me with a slightly arrogant expression. He's tall, and has a body like a professional weightlifter. His skin is a beautiful russet color, and his hair is the same black as his eyes, which are staring straight into mine.

I look away quickly, blushing. I begin to walk faster, nearly jogging now as I try to get out of range with him. But then I hear a voice call behind me,

"Hey, wait up. I just want to ask you something. One question."

I slow and turn to look at the stranger. All my senses are screaming at me to run, to get away from him, but my curiosity overtakes me.

He slows his jog as he catches up to me, stopping in front of me with a smile.

"Jeez, you're fast. What do you do, run cross country or something?"

I just stare at him. Why in the world would this boy be stopping me to ask what sport I do?

He chuckles and says, "Sorry, sorry, just a joke. Anyway, I was wondering if you were related to Charlie Swan. Ring a bell?"

I stare at him again, but this time in shock. How in the world does he know my deceased father?

I manage to stammer (as always) out an answer after several seconds of silent shock.

"I, I uh, y-yeah I w-was re-related to hi-him. H-he was m-my d-dad."

The boy looks surprised for a second, but he recovers fairly quickly.

"I didn't know he was… dead. I'm sorry about that. But, that would make you Isabella, right?"

I nod slowly. How in the world does this boy know me?!?

He smiles and then grabs me up in a totally unexpected hug.

"Haha, I knew it! Bella!"

The air whooshes out of me as he grabs me. Good thing, too, or else I would have screamed loud enough to wake the dead. As it was I started thrashing, totally freaked out.

"Wh-who the h-heck are y-you?!?!" I shout at him as he lets me go. I tense to start running as soon as he gives me his answer.

His face falls a bit, but he answers me.

"You don't remember me? It's Jacob, remember? We were in school together a couple years ago…"

I stare at him, contemplating his face for a minute. And then the memory comes flooding back to me and I gasp, suddenly recognizing him.

Then, to his surprise, I'm the one hugging him, my arms locked around his waist.

"J-Jake! I-I Ha-haven't s-s-seen you in s-so long!"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Muahaha Cliffie (I guess). Sorry guys, but it's late and I need to get to bed, but I didn't want to deprive you of another chapter.**

**And btw, I had no idea Jake was going to be anywhere in this story. The characters just kinda took over. Blame them if you don't like it, not me. But I promise I will not let them make him the bad guy. I already know who the bad guy is in this story, and he's mostly the reason it's rated M.**

**Anyway, please review. Lots of you guys are reading, which makes me happy, but I've only gotten 8 reviews. I know you guys can do better than that, please! Will you help me make it to at least the 20 review mark for this story?**

**If you do, you just might get an early Christmas present… XD**

**So, if you want that present, REVIEW!**

Word count: 1,388


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**

**So I guess this could be considered part of your present- getting you new chapter so soon. You guys did come through and helped me make it to the 14 review mark. Sadly, that's the most reviews I've ever gotten on a story… I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or what…. But anyways, thanks for all your wonderful reviews and I hope you like the story so far…:D**

* * *

Jake POV:

I hadn't seen Bella in over six years, so when she went walking by me in the throng of people I couldn't help but stare. I think I scared her by running after her, but I didn't want to lose her in case she really was Bella. And, sure enough, it's her.

She freaks when I pick her up, but then she recognizes me and she's the one hugging me.

She's still as skinny as always, but there is something different about the way she acts, the way she holds herself. It reminds me of the time we went through the haunted house in sixth grade; she'd been nervous, jumpy, as if she was anticipating that someone was going to jump out and scare her at any moment. The way she was acting now was similar, and her stutter! I've never heard her stutter like that before.

But then it occurs to me that I have no idea why she is here, when she is supposed to be in Phoenix. So I decide to become the cop and find out.

"So, Bella, I'm… I'm sorry about Charlie. You and Renee must have taken it hard."

Bella's eyes are sad as she looks up at me, her arms wrapped around herself again.

"Jake…. Re-Renee's g-gone, t-too."

I stare at her in shock. How hard it must be to lose both of your parents… I understand what it's like to lose one, since my mom died from cancer years ago. But, to lose both…

"How?"

A spasm of pain goes through Bella's eyes and her mouth pulls down in a grimace.

"Th-they were i-in a c-c-car crash. Hi-hit head o-on by a t-tanker."

I grimace as well as I picture it. God, what a horrible way to die…

"When was this, Bella?"

"I-it was n-nearly f-five y-years ago. I- I went t-to the a-adoption agency p-place, a f-few….f-few f-foster….h-homes…"

Bella's voice starts to get softer, her arms tightening even more around herself. She looks like she's trying to protect herself from something…. Maybe it's the memories of her parents.

"So, are you with a foster family now?"

"N-no, I-"

But before Bella can finish she's cut off by a tiny girl who comes running up behind her, followed closely by a taller blonde and a lady who looks barely older than them.

"Bella, there you are! We were on our way to the bookstore but saw that you were over here… oh," she says, catching sight of me, "Hello."

"Hi, A-Alice," Bella cuts in before I can say anything, "Th-this is J-Jacob Black. W-we used t-to go t-to school t-together. Jake," she turns to me, "Th-this is Alice, Rose, and Esme Cullen."

I realize, with a little shock, that I recognize that name. Last year I had one of the Cullens, Emmett, in my history class. This must be the rest of his family, or at least the girls.

"Hello, Jacob. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mrs. Cullen steps up and holds out her hand. I take it and we shake hands, which kind of surprises me but is rather nice. Rose, who I'm assuming must be the blonde, just kind of waves at me, a half smile on her lips. She looks deep in thought about something.

"Uh, hi, everybody. Uh, if you don't mind, I've got to go. I'm meeting my girlfriend here at the food court in about fifteen minutes, so…"

Bella looks at me, eyebrows raised, a grin on her face.

"You've g-got a g-girlfriend, J -Jake? Wh-what's her n-name?"

I feel my face getting hot and I look down.

"Leah. She's really sweet, I think you'd like her."

Bella smiles again and then pushes on my arm.

"Well, g-get g-going. Y-you d-don't want t-to b-be late for y-your d-date!"

I grin at her and start to back up a bit, waving to the others, who wave back politely.

"Sure, sure, I'm going. It was nice meeting you. I'll see you at school, Bella."

BPOV:

Alice turns to me the second Jake's back is turned.

"Well, he was nice, Bella. You knew him in school?"

"Y-yeah."

Suddenly Esme takes my hand and smiles at me. She links her arm into mine, and tugs me down the hallway and away from Alice's questions.

"Come on, Bella, you haven't had a chance to visit the bookstore yet, and I know you really want to. We can talk later."

Rose's laugh floats behind us, mingling with Alice's cries of protest. Esme doesn't let go of my arm until we are in the bookstore, standing right in the middle.

"Well, go on, find some good stuff. We'll be looking around ourselves, so let's meet in…" She checks her watch, "about thirty minutes. Okay?"

We all nod and then I, automatically, head for the escalator. I can remember coming here with Renee when I was younger, and I know exactly where the classics are. I make my way over to them and then go a bit overboard, picking out all the Austen classics, Wuthering Heights, Uncle Tom's Cabin, the Scarlet Letter. All wonderful books I used to own but sadly don't anymore.

Thirty minutes seems to fly by, and soon I'm waiting by the register for them. There's a wall of journals and sketchbooks near the register, and I walk over to check them out.

My eyes fall on a pretty sketchbook- it's lavender colored, with music notes dancing across. I can't help it, I reach out to pick it up. Maybe Esme won't mind if I get this too…

It turns out Esme doesn't mind in the least- in fact, her eyes practically light up when she sees the sketchbook.

"That's perfect, Bella, it's so pretty!" she says, as I set it on the counter.

I smile at her as Rose and Alice place their purchases on the counter as well.

I try not to say anything when the cashier reads out the total, but it's hard. The cost of the books is more than most people make in an entire day. It seemed that the Cullens were good on money, though, because the price didn't even faze Esme. She just pulled out her Visa.

Pretty soon we were climbing into the car, all of our feet hurting and our arms loaded down with shopping bags, finally headed home. I smiled to myself when I thought of that. The Cullen's was really starting to feel like home.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hey guys sorry for the lengthy descriptions, I'm just trying to make it longer for you guys… :D Well anyway thanks to those of you reviewing, especially Nessie-Bella-Edward, my Aussie buddy :D Thanks a bunch!**

**Oh, before I leave you to reviewing, I just wanted to make sure of something.**

**When Bella stutters, is it too hard to read or are you managing okay? I can make it more readable if you would like…. **

**Word count: 1,416**


	6. Chapter 6 Filler

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. If I did, I would not be completely messing up my own character**.

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BPOV:

It is about an hour's drive from the mall to our house, but in that hour Alice, Rose, and I laugh and talk like old friends. I suppose that's what we are now, friends. I find myself trusting them, and thank god, they don't seem to notice my… oddness, or at least they have enough courtesy not to mention it.

When we pull into the garage and take our things inside, the first thing I notice is the music. It's a piano, and the music seems to be floating through the air, it's so light and pretty. Alice sees the star struck expression on my face, and giggles.

"It's Edward," she whispers, leading me past the doorway of the living room where I first met them. I can see him sitting at his piano, totally involved in the music. "He's playing Esme's song. He wrote it for her when he was fourteen. She loves it."

Wow. So, Edward is not only handsome, (I blush a little as I think of that, glad Alice can't read my thoughts or anything), but he can write and play his own beautiful compositions.

The music fills my ears as we ascend the stairs, sneaking quietly, trying not to disturb him. As we reach the top the music changes, shifts into a new song almost effortlessly. This one seems a bit darker than the other, and the notes are quick and involved. I can hear at least three accidentals in there, as well, which add to the… mystery of it. It is still beautiful, though, and I turn to Alice to ask whose song it is.

"I don't know," she says, a small frown on her face. "I've never heard this one before."

EPOV:

The girls get home while I am playing Esme's song. I can hear Alice and Bella sneaking past, Alice whispering to Bella. I have to force myself not to look up as Bella's strawberry-ish scent wafts softly into the room. I change the music, sliding into the composition I started for her. It is not finished, because I haven't unraveled her yet. She's still a mystery to us, and so the end of her song is a mystery.

I have to admit to myself that Bella is beautiful. She had me staring at her from the moment she first walked into our living room, and although we were all staring, I was staring for an entirely different reason. And she has this air about her, it reminds me of a wounded bird that needs help in order to heal and fly again. I am more than willing to help Bella fly again, if she'll let me.

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**A/N:**

**Hey guys! Yes, I realize this is a very short chapter and I'm sorry for it, but it's not exactly a chapter. It's more of just a filler, because in the next chapter the story really starts going, I guess. And I wanted to show a bit of EXB happiness :D Plus, you do get it the day after chapter five… a record for me! **

**BY THE WAY: YOU GUYS TOTALLY ROCK AT REVIEWS! all i'm gonna say :D**

**Hoped you liked it…. Review and tell me what you thought! :D**

**Word count: 629**


	7. Not a new chaper, Just a note :

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry, but Story of a Girl won't be updated for another week. I was going to do it this weekend, but my family and I are going to Washington DC, and my parents said I can't bring my laptop. :( But I'll be writing in the meantime, and I'll update as soon as we get back. I'll probably have some one-shots to post too. :)

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, happy Kwanza, and a Happy New Year to all of you!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**

**Hey, guys, I just wanted to say thanks to those of you who have been reading this story since the beginning… I know, it's crawling at a snail's pace right now, but I'm going to try to really get things going in the next few chapters.**

**Okay, enough of my whining. On to the story! :) **

* * *

BPOV:

The rest of winter vacation is, sadly, over in a flash and soon it's the evening before the first day of school, for me anyway. I stand in front of my mirror, feeling like a Barbie doll as Alice flits around me, trying to find the 'perfect outfit'. To tell the truth, I'd be happy with a plain shirt and jeans, but Alice won't accept that.

"Bella, I've already accepted your… preference, let's say, for long sleeved shirts, but you are not getting away with ordinary while I have a breath in my body!"

So now I stare at the outfit Alice has concocted, hating myself for acknowledging that it is, indeed, perfect. The top is a dark blue cable knit sweater, with a lacy white cardigan peeking at the end of the V-neck. Light wash skinny jeans tucked into white and blue striped boots, my hair pulled back in a headband and falling to frame my face. I have to admit that I like it, a lot. I don't know how much it all cost, and maybe I don't want to know. All I do know is that I feel beautiful, for once in my life.

* * *

EPOV:

The first day back from winter break has begins at a painfully early hour, as evidenced by the sight of Emmett and Japer sitting like zombies around the kitchen table, Emmett nearly falling asleep in his cereal. The first thing I do is make myself a cup of strong coffee- I don't like the stuff much, but it keeps me awake.

Soon after I've gotten my caffeine fix, a much too hyper Alice comes bounding down the stairs. She sees us all sitting there and exclaims,

"Come on, sleepy heads, it's not that early! You should have gotten to bed earlier last night anyway. Em, I know you were up till 2 playing that video game with Jazz."

Emmett and Jasper just grimace at her blearily. Alice laughs and darts to the fridge. She pulls it open and grabs two Pepsis, tossing them at Emmett and Jasper.

"Put those in your backpacks, you'll need them later, trust me."

Emmett shakes his head as she runs up the stairs again, muttering to himself,

"So the pixie's a psychic now, too?"

Jasper stands up and saunters over to where I'm leaning against the counter. A grin, much too smug for my tastes, is on his face and in his eyes as he leans up against the counter next to me.

"So," he says with a chuckle, "You ready for school? Ready for the competition?"

I frown at him. "What competition?"

He chuckles. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. I've seen the way you look at Bella, don't try to deny it. And at school, there are hundreds of guys who'll be looking at her, checking out the new girl. "

I resist the urge to growl at him, even though he deserves it for provoking me like this.

"Like hell they will."

Jasper opens his mouth to retort, but before he can there are footsteps on the staircase. We look up to see Alice leading a tired looking Bella down the stairs.

Jasper digs me in the ribs as I take her in, but I just ignore him. Bella looks wonderful in a sweater whose deep blue stripes compliment her skin perfectly. She smiles at me with tired eyes, and I see that Alice has made her wear makeup. But not even the foundation on Bella's skin- not that she needs it anyways- can cover up the dark circles under her eyes.

She blushes when she sees Jasper and Emmett staring too, ducks her head, and heads to the pantry to get some cereal. I glance at Jasper, who just smirks and whispers to me,

"Competition."

* * *

BPOV:

I go to bed at a reasonable hour the night before school starts, but once I'm asleep my hopes of a good night's sleep crashes down into oblivion.

Almost as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm dreaming . No, dream is not the right word for it.

Nightmare. That's what it is that's going on inside my head. A nightmare.

I'm standing alone in a field, surrounded by a rainbow of wild flowers. I reach down to pick one, and lift it to my face to smell the sweet scent.

But when I look again the flower in my hand is charred, black, withered. I look up again, and the whole field, right before my eyes, is being burned by an invisible flame, bright colors turning to ash and black.

Then the flame cracks along my back and I scream, scream, scream, but no one can hear me. A horrible, horrible laugh fills my ears, a voice I thought I would never hear again. It mocks me, surrounding me while I burn. I can't see the laugher, but instinctively I know that he is the one causing my pain, the one who laughs at my pain….

The laugh jerks me back to reality, and I wake up to realize I'm screaming into my pillowcase, tears streaming from my eyes. I bury my face into the pillow and try to get a hold of myself, but it's several minutes before I can do more than gasp. I raise my head and listen intently to see if I've woken anyone up, but there's no sound.

I twist and turn on the lamp next to my bed, my eyes flashing around the room instinctively, searching for the face that matches the laugh, the one who haunts my dreams….

But, of course, no one is there, and I breathe a sigh of relief. But now, I will never be able to sleep again. I can't, because if I do I'll just dream of… him… again. I can only think of one thing to do, and so I pass most of the night buried in the life of Elizabeth Bennett.

**A/N:**

**Okay, so who's officially confused? I wouldn't be surprised if you were, even I'm still a bit confused. But I like this chapter, I think it helps the story move a lot more.**

**What was your favorite line in this? Mine was Emmett's "So the pixie's a psychic now, too?" XD lol **

**REVIEW****, please!!!!! Tell me what you thought!**

**Word count: 1,264**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:**

**Hello, wonderful readers! Before you pelt me with the rotted fruit I'm sure you're reaching for, let me apologize. I never meant to go so long without updating, but I let high school get the better of me. And I kind of lost my muse when I started reading Harry Potter again. And then, just as I was about to finish this chapter and update, my Mom took away my laptop for like 2 months****. :( **

**But I'm back again, with a brand new chapter! I know it doesn't really make up for such an extensive absence, but it's the best I can do for now.**

**OH, BTW: If any of you are Harry Potter fans as well, like me (SWITZERLAND!), I have another story thing going. It's not really a continuous story, it's more like a bunch of one shots. It's called **_**Life and Times of Lupin**_**… Please check it out! I'd be very happy if you did :) **

**Ok, on to chapter nine!**

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BPOV:

Alice drives like a maniac. The whole time I'm in the car with her, I'm afraid for my life. But, it was either go with her and Rose to school or go in Emmett's jeep, and no WAY was I showing up to my first day of school in a muddy, overly tricked-out jeep.

One thing I was slightly confused about was that Edward almost didn't want to go with Emmett and Jasper. He had been glancing at me all through breakfast, an odd expression on his face—he had seemed almost, well, hopeful. But about what? I mull over these questions on the ride to school, all the while keeping a firm grip on the handle on the ceiling of Alice's car while she weaves in and out of traffic.

Luckily, we make it to school in one piece, and as soon as we get there Alice leads me to the attendance office. The secretary, a middle-aged woman whose frizzy hair is an unnatural shade of red, glances up as Alice approaches her desk. I hang back a few steps, nervous.

"Hi, Mrs. Cope, this is Isabella Swan, new student. Do you have her schedule? I'm going to show her around before classes start."

Mrs. Cope nods and reaches into a filing cabinet behind her. She pulls out several pieces of paper.

"Here you go, Isabella's schedule as well as a map and the bell schedule. Feel free to come back if you have any questions, Isabella. We're happy to help."

I nod and try to smile at her as Alice takes the papers, but I'm so nervous that it comes out as more of a grimace.

Alice studies my schedule as we stroll out into the commons area. Luckily we're early enough that there aren't too many people.

Alice finishes looking at my schedule and hands it to me, taking her own from her backpack.

"Ok, Bella, it looks like you and I have first hour English and third hour Gym together. Oh, and fifth hour French. This'll be fun!"

I nod uncertainly and look at my schedule. Esme arranged it so that I would have most of my classes with either Edward or Alice, but unfortunately neither of them is taking Art as their elective- Alice is doing Broadcasting, and Edward is the pianist for the Jazz ensemble. So I'm on my own in art class.

Someone calls my name and I look up. Jacob is strolling down the hall towards me and Alice, holding hands with a beautiful girl I can only assume is Leah. She has hair the color of ripe wheat and eyes as blue as a September sky. What I find the most appealing, however, is the welcoming expression on her face.

"Hey, Bells, glad to see you again! This is Leah; Leah, this is Bella. I knew her a long time ago, before I met you."

Leah smiles at me and I can't help but smile slightly back.

"Hi, Bella, it's nice to meet you."

"Hi, L-Leah. I'm g-glad Jake f-f-found so-someone."

Leah blinks a few more times than normal when she hears my stutter, but she doesn't mention it, which I'm grateful for. I'm bound to be questioned all day; at least the interrogation can wait a few minutes.

"So, Bells, you have your schedule yet?"

I nod at Jake and hand it to him. He scans it, and then grins.

"Well, looks like we have Art together. That's good; Leah's taking that class too."

Leah smiles at me again, and says,

"I can't really draw, but I want to learn. And Jake is a really good sculptor, he figured he'd put that talent to use."

Before I can reply, a bell rings to signal the start of passing period. Jake and Leah hug before waving good bye to me and Alice, and scatter.

"C'mon, Bella, class is this way. If we get there early we might be able to choose our seats."

Alice tugs me down the hallway, to an open door decorated with a poster of Shakespeare. A tall, nice-looking older woman with graying hair is standing just inside the door. She smiles at Alice as we approach.

"Hello! Welcome to Honors English 10. There's a seating chart on the board, please sit accordingly."

The seating chart, unfortunately, has Alice and me sitting across the room from one another. I slide into my seat next to a boy with spiky, overly-gelled blond hair.

"Hi, I'm Mike."

He says, waving slightly.

"I-I-I'm B-Bella."

Mike stares at me. He's not exactly subtle about his confusion, and I resist the urge to run from the room. It's only going to get worse, I tell myself.

As soon as the final bell rings and the whole class is in their seats, the teacher stands up and introduces herself as Mrs. Fields. Then she utters the dreaded words: "We have a new student. Isabella Swan, please come up and introduce yourself."

I stand, shaking, and make my way to the front of the room. Their stares are roasting me alive; the only non-curious or non-bored one that I can see is Alice. She's smiling at me, apparently trying to be encouraging.

I take a deep breath and try to force the words out of my trembling lips. It feels like I'm frozen; the words are barely more than a whisper.

"H-h-h-hi. I-I'm B-B-Bella."

Mrs. Fields is frowning from the back of the classroom.

"Please speak clearly, and louder, Isabella. This is an English class, I expect you to speak clearly."

I feel like I'm going to faint. The room is spinning, and my breath is coming in gasps.  
"I-I-I-," I say, unable to focus on anything. Only Alice's face is relatively clear in the haze my vision has become. She looks concerned, and angry about something. It's probably me. I'm probably disappointing her somehow. She opens her mouth, and I hear her voice as though from a distance,

"Mrs. Fields, Bella is really shy. Can she skip the introduction? She's going to pass out."

Huh. Maybe I really am going to pass out. It certainly seems plausible; the walls around me seem to be spinning.

"Yes, yes, It's okay. Bella, you may sit down now."

Mrs. Fields sounds nervous—she must not want a student passing out on her. I stumble back to my seat, my face red with humiliation under all the stares from my classmates. When I get to my desk, I place my forehead on the cool surface, breathe in slowly, and tell myself that I can make it through the day. But I'm not so sure if I believe even myself.

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**So what'd you think? Do you like it so far? Should I make the chapters longer?**

**Review, and tell me your opinions!**

**:D Thanks for reading!**


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